


Anything You Want To Hear

by KayDiggsWriting



Series: What Happens In France... [3]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Drama, F/M, Family Dinner, Flashbacks, Hamgelica, Hamliza, Love Triangles, OOC, Parenthood, Past Relationship(s), Secrets, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Tension, original broadway cast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-12 23:45:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13558101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayDiggsWriting/pseuds/KayDiggsWriting
Summary: It's just a dinner with the family. What could possibly go wrong?





	Anything You Want To Hear

**Author's Note:**

> You need to read the other parts in this series to understand this one. My apologies for spelling and grammar errors.

"You know what daddy thinks about those down town apartments." Peggy spoke in her sing song voice as she shaved the carrot she was holding in her right hand. Her long ponytail flipped from side to side as she hummed along to a song only she could hear. Masking her offhanded, condescending comment behind the overly casual demeanor.

Angelica wasn't fooled. She didn't even attempt to hide her exaggerated eye roll. Her sister's holier than thou attitude was always a sore spot in their relationship. She didn't understand how they could be raised in the same house and still end up so different.She was glad for their opposing personalities, though it did baffle her. After years of bending to their father's will, she couldn't wait for the day she was legally allowed to be on her own. She moved out the minute she finished high school. Sure, she was still living under their father's good name and funds, but she was doing so as her own woman. 

Peggy, on the other hand, decided that she was going to remain _daddy's little girl_ until their father got tired of the  _good daughter_  charade. Which Angelica didn't think was going to happen any time soon, if ever. Peggy liked to blame their differences on Angelica's reputation for being a rebel. But it had to go deeper than that. Because not even Eliza still bent to their father's every will. And she'd been the favorite since the moment she was born. She'd been the sister with the perfect grades and perfect reputation. Leaning closer to Angelica's views while simultaneously managing to be the peace maker between the sisters for as long as any of them could remember. Even now, her placation of the situation was damn near second nature. 

"I think the uptown apartments and the downtown apartments are both fine. Lots of space and nice finishes."

But of course Peggy didn't want this to end in a stalemate. Her arm with the grater in it began moving slower. In a distracted manner while she pretended to take what her older sister said into consideration. It took only a few seconds for her to shake her head in disagreement. Adding the annoyingly cocky click of her tongue just to bother the eldest sister. "I just don't get why she'd want to move from  _this_ apartment anyway. It's already paid out and it's in a wonderful neighborhood. There's a preschool around the corner for when Philip starts next year. And both parks are clean and safe."

"Well, I'm not happy here." Angelica finally spoke up. Muttering the words through clenched teeth. 

"You're never satisfied with any situation." Peggy sighed, finishing off the first carrot and sliding the shavings from the cutting board into the waiting bowl. "That's why you're still single."

"Peggy." Eliza's tone suggested she back away from the subject. 

"I'm just saying." The youngest of the three lifted up the second and last carrot. "If it's about happiness, she should ask Philip what he wants. His happiness matters too."

"I am well aware that my child's happiness matters. And I don't need someone like  _you_  to remind me of that."

"What do you mean someone like me?" 

"Like you don't know." Angelica choked out a surprised laugh.

"Why don't you enlighten me?" Peggy slammed he carrot on the counter top. Breaking the tip of the vegetable in the process.

"Oh for goodness sake!" Eliza pulled the carrot from her sister's tightened hold. "Fight if you must. But  _do not_ ruin dinner."

"You can't even take care of yourself, Peggy." Angelica returned to what she was doing before the argument ensued. Stirring the cake batter. "So don't you dare tell me how or where to raise my child. You look over your shoulder everyday for Daddy's approval. Are you even allowed to use the bathroom without permission?"

"Enough. The both of you!" Eliza's voice rose only a fraction higher than what it was before.

Still, the boy she was trying to spare from hearing the reoccurring disagreement, bounded into the room. His new stuffed animal held tightly in his left hand.

"Why are you fighting?" Philip automatically went for the one person in the room who didn't look ready to blow.

Eliza lifted the boy onto the counter top easily. Brushing his dark curls away from his face. "No one is fighting, Philip."

"Mommy and aunt Peggy are fighting."

"No they're not." Eliza looked above her nephew's head to throw matching glares at her sisters.

It took only a second for both women to school their expressions into more positive masks. Well, positive on Angelica's part. Peggy's look was more neutral than anything. Philip wasn't convinced that everything was alright. He wasn't a stupid child and the tension in the room was still thick enough for the child to sense. But he seemed satisfied to have the harsh words cease for a moment. Even if it was only to keep him oblivious. 

He turned to face his mother's side. His bright eyes widening in delight when he realized what she was mixing in the bowl. Angelica melted at the innocence of the action. Her smile was more authentic when she slid herself and the bowl closer to her son. Philips small fingers wrapped around the top of the mixing spoon. Angelica let go of it completely. Giving the two year old free reign over the batter since it was already whipped to perfection. A bit of mix spilled on the counter when the spoon was lifted closer to his face. The boy eyed the spoon thoughtfully before looking away from the chocolate mix to make sure his mother was still watching him. She was. He sighed and let it fall back into the bowl. His stirs becoming less excited and more bored.

 

 

_Alexander wrapped his arms around Angelica's waist. Pressing his front against her back. Nestling his chin on the soft space between her neck and shoulder. His girlfriend pushed back against him but didn't look away from the strawberry cake mix she was stirring into a smooth finish. Acknowledging his presence without letting him completely distract her._

_His hands move from the side of her hips to the front of her. Angelica tensed slightly. Preparing for his skilled fingers to lower into the loosened top of her plaid pajama bottoms. It wasn't a rare occurrence for Alexander to have a sudden bout of sexual needs and go searching to see if his girlfriend was in the mood. And it wouldn't be a rare occurrence for Angelica to immediately succumb to his touches, abandoning whatever she'd been previously doing._

_But instead of a search for her more private areas of skin, Alexander's hands crawled towards the large mixing bowl. He dipped his middle finger into it. Coating it to the knuckle in the pink batter. Angelica spun around to face him. Which wasn't easy considering she was sandwiched between Alexander's hips and the sharp edge of the table._

_Irritation sparked to life inside of her. Not just because she knew the man in front of her hadn't washed his hands yet, but also because he just assumed she'd be okay with him touching it without asking. She fully intended to give him an ear full, honestly she did. But then Alexander wrapped his tongue around his finger. Sucking it into his mouth too slowly for it not to be intentionally appealing._

_Angelica found that she was holding her breath. Waiting for the cleaned finger to slip from his lips. He smirked knowingly. And she wanted that teasing tilt of his lips to be enough to snap her from the trance. But it wasn't. She stayed glued in her spot with her eyes attached to his lips like magnets. Finally, he allowed the finger to slip free. She allowed herself to exhaled. It took a full seven seconds to remind her brain that it needed to form words._

_"Y-You really shouldn't eat raw cake batter."_

_"Why?" The challenge in his voice was nothing compared to the one in his eyes. That was her Alexander, always looking for a fight. No matter how small or insignificant._

_"The raw eggs in the dough still carry a risk of salmonella." The warning slipped out easily after hearing it for years from her parents._

_"Oh?"_

_He reached around her to take another finger full. The same finger he'd just had in his mouth. This time Angelica had enough control of herself to grab his hand before he could slip it into his mouth. His finger jerked from the unexpected pull. Sending the sweet blend flying from his finger and onto the exposed skin of her collarbone. Without a second thought, he leaned over to swipe his tongue over it._

_Angelica shuddered. "Alexander, I'm cooking."_

_"It's pre-made cake mix." He mouthed against her skin. "That hardly requires your full attention."_

_"Hey." She wanted to be offended by his dismissal of her cooking skills but couldn't focus on anything other than the feeling of his mouth on her. "I added the oil and eggs."_

_"I'd like to add to your eggs."_

_"What?" Angelica snorted._

_Alexander pulled back. Laughing and shaking his head at himself. The sexual tension wasn't gone but it'd lessened enough with their laughter. "I don't know. My brain doesn't work in these situations."_

_"Your brain never stops working." She teased, turning back to the task at hand. "And no eating the batter. I mean it."_

 

 

"I don't care how long you take to stir that." Angelica informed her son. "I'm not looking away and I'm not letting you eat that batter."

"I know that." But he still pouted. His shoulders still slumped. 

A comfortable silence filled the kitchen after that. Philip's presence relaxing the atmosphere. Angelica sat on the stool in front of her son. Letting his little feet dangle over her lap. Eliza returned the carrot to Peggy so she could continue to shave it and add it with the rest of the vegetables they'd cut for dinner. The middle sister walked to the stove to check if the lasagna noodles were softening as they should. The silence through out the house was disrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

Elizabeth pipped up. Wiping her already clean hands on the skirt of her apron. "That'll be Alexander."

"Or Hercules." Peggy countered. 

"It could be Thomas." Angelica added just for talking sake. They all knew that her best friend tended to show up fashionably late to their dinners. To be honest, she half expected him not to show at all since this was the first one Alexander would be attending with them. 

Eliza disappeared from the room to end the mystery of whose dinner companion was the first to show. Margaret took the leave of their sister as an opportunity to annoy the eldest even further.

"You know." She finished off the carrot and added the orange strips to the salad. "Philip's about to be three."

"Thank you, Margaret." She trained the smile on her face for her son's sake. "I know how old Philip is turning."

"I'm just saying. When are you going to stop this dependence on your gay best friend and actually start dating someone?"

Her eyes flickered to her son's. Seeing that he was still distracted with the food he longed for but couldn't have, she felt safe to at least taste the tip of the topic her sister brought up too frequently for her liking. 

"I'll start dating when I'm ready."

"You're never going to be ready. You're either with us, Philip, or Thomas. You never give yourself time to put yourself out there."

"When I'm ready-"

"Pretty soon Philip is going to be at the age where he starts asking questions. Don't you think he's going to wonder why he doesn't have a daddy?"

"Listen, Peggy." Angelica's voice left no room for the youngest to interrupt again.

Philip grimaced. Turning away from the bowl and spoon to face his aunt. "I _do_ have a daddy." He argued. Proving that his distraction with the cake was nothing more than a farce. "He gave me this Marshall." He grabbed the leg of his Paw Patrol toy. 

Angelica was suddenly nauseous. She wanted to reach out and cover her son's mouth. But the action itself could be taken as an admission of guilt. It's not like she could be mad at him. She didn't really expect her two year old, talkative son to be able to keep the biggest secret she had. Though she did hope it would last a little bit longer. Give her more time to come up with a plan of action. But now that the cat was out of the bag, she wanted nothing more than to kill the feline. Not that it would really help. They had nine lives after all.

"You have a daddy?" Peggy repeated. Walking closer to the table. Closer to Philip. "Is that what you said?"

Angelica touched her son's knee. Signaling for him to remain quiet. By the grace of the universe, he obeyed. 

"Please don't badger my son with questions."

"Then I'm asking you." Her narrowed eyes turned to her. "Since when does Philip have a daddy? Since when are you dating someone long enough to even meet Philip?" She was asking the questions too fast for actual answers. "And he's here enough for you to allow Philip to call him daddy? How long has this been going on? Who is it?" She gasped. "Please don't tell me it's Thomas." He voice lowered. "Are you having an affair with Thomas?"

She almost laughed. "It's not Thomas."

"Then who is it?" 

"It's none of your business." Angelica stood up.

"I think it's very much my business since you have a stranger playing father to my nephew."

"Even if I did - _and I don't_ \- have strange men in and out of the house enough for Philip to think one was his father, that's not your business. Who I would choose to be with is none of your business. And who  _my_ child is around, is none of your damn business."

They were nose to nose. Staring each other down. Both refusing to back away first. And that's when Eliza walked in on them. 

"Sorry I took so long." She was saying. "Hercules got me looped into a quick conversation on the different sturdiness of thread patterns. But now-" She stopped when she saw them. Her easy mood fading. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Peggy muttered, backing away. Stalking towards the door. Angelica blinked in surprise. "I'm going to go greet my boyfriend."

She looked at her oldest sister for an explanation. "That didn't look like nothing."

"It was." Angelica tried to release the stiffness of her stance.

"Okay." She was going to let it go. For now. "And why is Philip eating handfuls of the cake mix?"

"What?" Angelica whipped her head around and saw her son still sitting on the counter top. In the middle of trying to suck his covered fist into his mouth. Catching him chocolate handed. "Philip  _no_." She whined. Grabbing his wrist to prevent even more of the mess from traveling to his clothes.

"I'm sorry, mommy." He didn't look it. "I wanted to taste it."

"How many times has mommy asked you not to do that?"

"A lot of bunch of times?"

"Yes." She released his hands to grab under his arms. Sitting his feet on the floor. "Now, let's go get you cleaned up." Her hand rested in his hair to guide him in the right direction. "Eliza, could you salvage what you can of that?"

Elizabeth grimaced. "I'll do my best."

"Thank you so much." Angelica began leading the boy from the kitchen. He kept his hands raised in the air so that he wouldn't accidentally touch anything. "You know that's a no-no." His mother was whispering as they walked. "You know you have to punished. No cake after dinner."

Philip's head tilted up to look at her. "But I want cake."

Angelica stopped to cross her arms over her chest. "I think you've had enough."

The shrill sound of the doorbell cut off anything else she could have added. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Peggy reaching over to open it. At the same time Eliza was walking from the kitchen to see who would be joining them next. Angelica knew who it was before he fully stepping to the entrance. 

Alexander walked in with a bottle of wine in one and a smile on his face. He was pulled into a hug by Peggy. Hercules gave him a nod since this was their first time meeting. Elizabeth's face positively lit up at the sight of him. She rushed past her sister and nephew to get to him. Stopping just a few inches away to lean up for the kiss his pursed lips offered. 

"Angelica." He nodded in her direction when he realized she wasn't going to approach him to say hello.

"Alexander." She mimicked his more formal tone. 

Philip looked around his mother's legs. If Eliza's face lit up at the sight of Alexander, Philip's was absolutely blinding. "Daddy!" He squealed. Charging at the man and slamming into his legs. His arms wrapped around the back of his knees. Spreading the chocolate onto his father's beige slacks without mercy.

The room stilled. Angelica was too bewildered to do anything constructive. Hercules had the understandable demeanor of apathetic confusion. Alexander's eyes looked frantically to Angelica's for some kind of sign as to what to do. When he got nothing in return, his chin tilted down to look at his son. Peggy's head darted in her oldest sister's direction. The accusation hanging between them without words being spoken. Eliza looked... embarrassed. 

"Philip." He reached down to ruffle the boy's hair. Laughing uncomfortably. "Hey there, buddy."

"Alex, I'm  _so_ sorry." Elizabeth plucked her nephew up from her boyfriend's legs. Phillip squirmed in her hold. Struggling to get his hands back around his father. He'd become unbelievably attached to the man considering the fact that this was only the fifth time they were seeing each other. "He must recognize you from the restaurant." She was still explaining as she handed him off to his mother. "He's never done something like that before. I'm sure Angelica will offer to pay the dry cleaning or something." She raised expectant eyebrows at her sister.

Angelica's missing brain cells kicked into action. "Yes. Sure. Of course." She nodded. "I'm sorry, Alexander."

"It's fine." He glanced down at the brown smears on his pants legs. "It was an accident."

"I want daddy!" Philip went to reach for his father again. Angelica swooped him into her arms. Trapping his hands at his sides as she did so. He son quickly realized that he wasn't a match for his mother physically. So he resulted to vocally. " _Daddy!_ " He screamed. Tears forming in his deep, brown eyes.

"I'm so sorry." Angelica said again. "I don't know why he's acting like this. I'm going to try to calm him down." She motioned to the hall. "And clean him up."

"I-I'm going to go to the bathroom and try get some of this off my pants." Alexander turned to his girlfriend. "Could you point me in the direction of the bathroom?"

"First door on the right." Eliza deadpanned. "Do you want me to-"

"No. No." He smiled. "Go finish up dinner." And then to the other two in the room. "Please don't stand around waiting for me."

Peggy guided her boyfriend to a spot on the couch. Handing him the remote before following Eliza's lead and walking back into the kitchen. But not before she glanced back to narrow her eyes at Alexander. He ignored her somewhat knowing look and followed Elizabeth's directions to the bathroom. He opened the door and cut on the light. Walking fully in to switch on the sink but then stepping back out. The door closed with him on the wrong side of it. Tip toe-ing for his own dramatic effect, he peeked into what appeared to be the master bedroom. Decorated in all red and brown woods. So boring. So unlike the Angelica he knew.

The room on the left was the third and final door down that hall. It was ajar so he chanced a glace between the crack. This one was Philip's room. The bed was small. The colors were bright. And there were toys all over the carpeted floor. He spotted Angelica sitting on the edge of the mattress with Philip standing just to the side of her on top of his blanket. His short arms were raised to the sky while she lifted the shirt over his head. Alexander stepped into the room, shutting the door as quietly as he could. The sound still caught Philip's attention. 

"Daddy!" He cheered. Clapping his hands while Angelica tried to wipe them with the removed t-shirt. She didn't bother turning around to look at him. Keeping her attention on ridding her child of his chocolate mess.

"Shh, buddy, shh." Alexander sped to him. Sitting on the other side of the small bed. "Hey."

"Hey." As soon as his hands were free, he hugged the man. "Hey."

"Why would you come back here?" Angelica still wasn't looking at him. "Are you insane?"

"Relax. Everyone thinks I'm in the bathroom." He rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to spend a second with my son."

"You could have done that out there. After I finished cleaning him up."

"But then I wouldn't be spending time with my son. I'd be spending time with my girlfriend's nephew."

"Is there a difference?"

Alexander looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Is that an actual fucking question?"

"Bad word!"

"Alexander."

"I apologize." He cupped Philip's face. "I missed you."

"I missed you." He echoed. "I sleep with Marshall in the bed."

"That's great, sunshine." Alexander's grin mirrored his son's. "I hope it helps you-"

"Can you stay here and stay with me and mommy?" 

"I can't do that, Philip."

"You don't like me?"

"I _love_ you."

Angelica's heart twisted.

"You don't like mommy?"

"I lo- of course I like mommy."

Angelica bit her lip.

"You don't like our house?"

"Philip, buddy, I just can't right now. Okay?"

"Right now?" Angelica scoffed, finally meeting his eyes.

"You know what I mean."

"But _he_ doesn't. So don't say things like that. Don't lie to him."

Alexander looked down at his hands. Twisting the fingers around each other. And then, almost too low to hear, he mumbled. "It doesn't have to be a lie."

"Excuse me?"

"Just think about it. I'm not saying right now. Just- we never know what the future holds."

"I know my future doesn't hold me making up with my ex-lover who is now my little sister's current boyfriend."

"We were so beyond lovers and you know it." He hissed. "I'm not saying I'm just going to leave Eliza. But things are... complicated beyond measure."

"I don't know what you mean. But I think you should leave."

His eyebrows shot up. "What? Leave the country?"

She ignored the obvious jab. 

"This room." 

"Fine." He stood up. Touching his son's cheek in parting. "But this isn't the last of this conversation."

"But it is."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"Alexander-"

"Angel, listen to reason-"

"Would you stop calling me that?"

"Old habits die hard."

"It's been three years. It should be dead and buried."

"Angel..ica." He quickly added before she could snap. "If you would just-"

"Why are you always fighting?" Philip frowned.

"We're not." Angelica plastered her famous 'mother smile' on her face. "We're just talking. And Alexander is going now."

The disappointed look could bring a grown man to his knees. It damn near did. "You're leaving, daddy?"

"Call him Alex today, Philip."

"You're going to confuse him."

"Him continuing to call you daddy will confuse everyone else."

"Well _I am_ his father."

"We already decided to keep that to ourselves for now."

"You mean _you_ decided."

"And you disagree?"

"You don't even want to know how much..."

Peggy pulled her ear away from the closed door. Ending her easedropping session with more than she bargained for. Too much yet not enough of the rushed conversation to fully comprehend. She stood staring at the dark wood as if it could explain it all to her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
